The Present Invention relates generally to the field of supplying materials and more particularly to the form in which several different materials may be supplied for use in a process and to a method of supplying those materials for use in the process.
By way of example, a unit for the processing of photographic materials must be supplied with a developer material and a fixer material. These materials usually consist of several components which must be mixed together in the correct proportions. These components are often supplied in the form of concentrates which may be in either liquid or powder form. The concentrates must be mixed with water in order to dilute them to the required strength before they are mixed together to produce the developer or fixer material. Thus, whilst providing the component materials as concentrates reduces the required volume of the component, it does necessitate the provision of large quantities of water which is heavy and awkward to handle. It also necessitates the provision of large tanks for storing the water.
The supply of several different components which need to be diluted and mixed together to form a developer material or a fixer material also involves the use of large amounts of packaging. In recent years there has been increasing concern over the protection of the environment and the earth's natural resources which has resulted in the increased recycling of packaging. It is now not uncommon for the suppliers of products to offer to remove and recycle packaging within which their products are supplied, thereby encouraging purchasers who are "environmentally conscious" to invest in their products rather than in a competitors' product where the competitor may not offer to remove and recycle the waste packaging. Clearly in this situation the suppliers are most concerned to keep the amount of packaging which has to be removed and recycled to a minimum.
The components for photographic developers and fixers may be supplied either in the form of liquid concentrates or powder concentrates. Each form has its own advantages and disadvantages. Thus, powders are compact, light and therefore relatively easy to transport, but can create a dusty and hazardous environment when they are removed from their containers. Liquids on the other hand are less hazardous when used but, as mentioned above, are heavy and bulky making them awkward to handle and transport. It has also been proposed to freeze-dry the concentrate components for photographic developers and fixers. Whilst this avoids the problems associated with liquid concentrates and can remove unpleasant smells generated by these types of materials, the freeze-dried product will still produce a dusty and potentially hazardous atmosphere when emptied from its container unless great care is taken during this procedure. A further problem associated with freeze-drying the components for photographic developers and fixers is that the components have to be vacuum-packed in a laminated container or package and a package of this type cannot readily be recycled. Thus, this type of packaging is not particularly "environmentally friendly".
Another factor which has to be born in mind in the supply of photographic developer and fixer materials is that the developer and fixer must be kept separate and thus it is usual to package the individual components for these two materials separately. This gives rise to increased packaging which must be removed and recycled or otherwise disposed of.
Whilst particular reference has been made to the supply of components for photographic developers and fixers, the present invention is not limited to use with such materials and seeks to address the problems outlined above, which also arise in other fields where a variety of different materials must be supplied to a processing unit or are required for use in a process.